A value-driven career

With great power comes great…

I am always grateful for the time and place of my salvation – when I was 7 and in Tree of Life Church. At that young age, you tend to just go with the flow and I decided I’d follow Jesus because that’s what my parents told me was the right thing to do. My church was a non-whimsical, non-legalistic church which dwelt wholly on the word of God and had it as the foundation. I was raised not being forced to do anything because I had to, but because it would be for my own good. Newfrontiers was indeed a large family of churches put together and it felt great to be able to have an avenue to make more and more friends, meet people from other cultures and know that we are the lone Christians in Mumbai.

My church had just been planted out at that time. We were low on members and funds and we’d meet in a small hall at the bottom of a public school. A small team had to put together what was required for a meeting – the PA system, musician’s instruments, Overhead Projector (OHP) and the bread and wine. Since dad was one of the leaders of the serving team, I would go along with him early in the mornings to help. Gradually I began to go there by myself in my dad’s stead. I took on the task of the OHP that was rather cumbersome. The Serving team and OHP were two things I was very much responsible for you can say. I began to grow in responsibility.

Today I’m still part of the same church which has 200 members, 2 services and meets in a hotel. My responsibilities include DLP (the modern OHP with a laptop and laser projector), PA system, serving team, newsletters every month & the church website management. Recently I started practicing my guitar and now I’m nearly part of the worship team although I have miles to go. Some time back I realized just how important a person’s role can be in the church. When I set up the hall with chairs and the PA, I have the ability to give people a hassle free environment to connect with the Lord. When I sit on the laptop during worship, I have the power to get people to sing a different verse by changing the screen accordingly. My monthly newsletter events can encourage someone to come for a gospel meeting or a get together in church. I can’t yell out like He-Man that ‘I have the power’, yet I do have a lot that rests on my shoulders.

Now imagine, just imagine, if I kept putting the wrong verses up on screen. People who wouldn’t know the song would be distracted. If the chairs were set up to close to each other, a member might find it uncomfortable. Or if the PA wasn’t tuned, we’d be closing our years when feedback occurred. In India, any unwise remark on a particular community in the newsletters could get the pastor beaten up! Now do you see the “power” I have?

With great power comes great responsibility… to use it wisely and carefully and well. And you have no power except that which comes from above. I’m on course to becoming a musician. Musicians are supposed to be the guys who help people connect with God. How can I connect someone when I myself am not? I want to change that and get my walk with Him back on track. I suddenly feel the urge to really get my life opened up to the Lord and all my elders around. I need his grace and strength to juggle church and work life. My so called powers are nothing to talk about. These are just ordinary responsibilities and they assume importance when you view it from a bigger perspective. I want his influence more than any trial and error experience. I want to be good at it, not for the fame, but the glory… His glory! God help me!